Muntons leads the way in sustainability

Muntons is proud to be the first maltster to commit to the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap coordinated in the UK by WRAP, a not for profit organisation and IGD research and training charity. Muntons, the malt and malted ingredient manufacturer based in Stowmarket, Suffolk, have long been recognised as the leader in sustainability within the malting industry and with this initiative are expanding their leadership further by also helping to champion sustainability in the food industry.

Muntons food waste is minimal at 0.51% but the ethos of looking for any waste reduction opportunity and sharing our actions through case studies is consistent with their company values. An increasing number of businesses, now representing over 60% of the UK food and drink sector by turnover, are adopting the approach designed to ‘Target, Measure, Act’ on food waste;  critical to the UK achieving national targets of a 50% food waste reduction by 2030 across the whole food chain.

To meet these national and global targets, a collaborative and concerted effort to reduce food waste is required.   This will focus on the prevention of food surplus and waste being generated in the first place, redistributing surplus food that does arise and diverting surplus food which cannot be used to feed people into animal feed and high value biomaterial processing.

Muntons Director of Technical and Sustainability Dr Nigel Davies says “Muntons is pleased to promote the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap as a proactive focus with measurable outcomes. We are proud to continue to take the lead in the malting supply chain in adopting a practical sustainability ethos described here as: Target, Measure, Act.”  He continued: “The agricultural supply chain uses valuable natural resources to create highly nutritive food yet globally at least 30% of that food is wasted before it gets to the consumer and then after it is taken home. Muntons is a strong supporter of the UN SDG’s and pleased to join the growing number of supply chain partners who think positively about a sustainable future that starts right now.”

Peter Maddox, WRAP Director, said: “The link between food waste and climate change is something we can no longer ignore. Globally, around a third of all food is wasted and the IPCC estimated that food waste contributed nearly 10% of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions, between 2010 and 2016. Having the support of companies like Muntons is crucial in helping to mitigate against this problem through their own actions, and by engaging with their customer base. We are delighted that Muntons is supporting the UK Food Waste Reduction Roadmap in this way and will work with its clients to influence change. We would encourage others to follow its lead.”

Anne Bordier, Charity Programmes Director at IGD, said: “I am delighted that Muntons has become the latest business to support the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, joining us on this incredibly important journey to reduce food waste. IGD and WRAP continue to work very closely with all the companies signed up to the Roadmap, giving them the tools to understand how they can measure and reduce food waste. Our industry has made great strides on this important issue, but we are not complacent – we recognise there is more we can, and will, be doing in the future.”

 

Notes to editor

IGD and WRAP led an industry-wide programme to develop the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap consulting with businesses, trade bodies and others from agriculture, food production and manufacture, retail and the hospitality and food service sector.

IGD is a research and training charity which sits at the heart of the food and grocery industry. It has a trading subsidiary that provides commercial services. The profits from these commercial services fund the charity. As a charity they exist to upskill people working in or looking to join the food and grocery industry and manage initiatives driven by research and best practice relating to science, technology or economics in the food industry.

 

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